Asia-Pacific leaders meeting in Malaysia on Saturday condemned the string of Islamic extremist attacks from Paris to Mali, urging an international effort to fight the scourge.Prime Minister Najib Razak of Muslim-majority Malaysia opened a fresh round of summitry in Kuala Lumpur by railing against the ideological mantle claimed by Islamic militants."The perpetrators of these cowardly and barbaric acts do not represent any race, religion or creed," he told fellow Southeast Asian leaders. "They are

U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday condemned what he called the "appalling" jihadist hostage seige in Mali that left at least 27 people dead, including an American citizen."This barbarity only stiffens our resolve to meet this challenge," he said during a visit to Malaysia, referring to the global threat of extremist violence.Gun-toting jihadists took more than 100 people hostage for around nine hours at a top hotel in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday.The assault was claimed by the Al-Murabi

Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal widened Friday after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the German automaker used software to cheat on pollution tests on more six-cylinder diesel vehicles than originally thought.Volkswagen told the EPA and the California Air Resources Board the software is on about 85,000 Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche vehicles with 3-liter engines going back to the 2009 model year. Earlier this month the regulators accused VW of installing the so-called “defeat

The U.N. Security Council on Friday authorized countries to "take all necessary measures" to fight the Islamic State group in a resolution that won unanimous backing a week after the Paris attacks. U.N. Security Council members vote on a French-sponsored counter terrorism resolution aimed at Islamic extremist, Friday (AP-Yonhap)The French-drafted measure calls on all U.N. member states to "redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist attacks" committed by IS and other

Police raided the offices of labor groups on Saturday as part of their ongoing probe into last week's large-scale anti-government rally in downtown Seoul, officers said.Officers at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided 12 offices of eight labor unions, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), and secured data on the massive protest at the Gwanghwamun Plaza last Saturday.Some 130,000 demonstrators from 53 labor unions and civic organizations took to the streets against the

President Park Geun-hye is preparing to meet with a dozen regional leaders in Malaysia on Saturday, the latest in a string of summits amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea.The meeting involves the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their three Northeast Asian dialogue partners -- South Korea, China and Japan.ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.The leaders are expected to

Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level in the capital Brussels on Saturday, with the OCAM national crisis center warning of an "imminent threat" a week after the Paris attacks. "Following our latest evaluation... the center has raised its terror alert to level 4, signifying a very serious threat, for the Brussels region," it said, as Europe tightens security after Islamic State militants killed 130 people in the French capital."The analysis shows a serious and imminent threat requi

Gun-toting jihadists took more than 100 people hostage for around nine hours at a top hotel in Mali's capital Bamako on Friday, in an attack claimed by an al-Qaida affiliate that left at least 27 people dead. Rescue team members carry out a body of a victim from the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali, Friday. (Xinhua)The assault, which was claimed by the Al-Murabitoun group of notorious one-eyed Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar, added to fears over the global jihadist threat, a week after th

Cash-strapped STX Offshore & Shipbuilding has proposed drastic restructuring measures to its labor union in order to avoid court receivership, sources said Wednesday.They noted that STX chief executive Lee Byung-mo plans to ensure the company’s survival by slashing 800 jobs, or 30 percent of its workforce of around 2,600, and cutting salaries by 10 percent. He also seeks to drastically streamline the organizational structure. In a recent email to employees, Lee said that restructuring is “the on

Officers in the German town of Alsdorf have arrested two women and a man suspected of being connected with the terror attacks in Paris.Special forces apprehended the trio at about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, police spokesman Werner Schneider said by phone, confirming a report in Aachener Zeitung.The suspects were arrested outside a job center on the Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Strasse after police stopped their car, Aachener Zeitung reported. Officers are out in force in the town, near the city of Aachen, a

Rival parties said Tuesday they agreed to begin discussions for the swift passage of the anti-terrorist bill following the deadly terror attacks in Paris.After holding a parliamentary meeting, the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy agreed to activate relevant committees to have the pending bill pass through "as soon as possible.""The bipartisan agreement reflects public concerns amid growing needs for tougher anti-terror measures," Saenuri spokesman

South Korea has raised the alert level by one notch and vowed to tighten security in major facilities in the wake of the deadly terror attacks in Paris, officials said Tuesday.  After holding a meeting involving ministries concerned about anti-terrorism countermeasures on Monday, the government decided to raise the alert level from "concern" to "caution," according to the officials. It is the second-highest warning in the country's four-tiered system. The "caution" level entails tougher measures

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin vowed vengeance as Moscow on Tuesday confirmed that a bomb attack brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board. Putin pledged to ramp up Moscow's bombing campaign in Syria in response to the attack but stopped short of blaming any one group as the country's security agency announced a $50 million reward for information leading to capture of those responsible. "It is not the first time that Russia confronts barbarous

France made an unprecedented demand for its European Union allies to support its military action against the Islamic State group as it launched new airstrikes on the militants' Syrian stronghold, days after attacks in Paris linked to the group killed at least 129 people. The Eiffel Tower is lit with the blue, white and red colours of the French flag in Paris, France, Nov. 16, 2015, to pay tribute to the victims of the terror attacks on Friday in the French capital. (Xinhua)France invoked a never

Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong’s rare visit to a Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard has sparked speculations over the fate of the shipbuilding unit, which has been reeling under severe losses.Market watchers are continuing their guessing game over the Samsung Group heir apparent’s visit Monday to the shipyard on Geojedo Island, South Gyeongsang Province, the first of its kind in eight years. Sources said that Lee’s move hints at a possible restructuring or sell-off of the loss-mak

Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin met with executives of several start-up companies to discuss measures to support them, the firm said Wednesday. It is a part of follow-up steps after Lotte announced its plan to set up an investment corporation, named “Lotte Accelerator,” designed to help young people start their own business in October. Shin offered 10 billion won ($8.7 million) from his personal fortune to set up the investment firm.  According to the company, some 300 people, including 30 st

The government said Sunday it is moving to ban small cigarette packs from being sold in the market as part of an effort to discourage smoking.The health ministry said it plans to revise the National Health Promotion Act that will prevent the sales and advertisement of packs with less than the standard 20 cigarettes.Usually a pack has 20 cigarettes, but recently there have been smaller packs coming out in the market with 14 and sometimes 10 cigarettes. British American Tobacco launched Dunhill Ex

Birds that may have been infected with avian influenza (AI) have been discovered at duck farms in the South Jeolla region, the government said Sunday.According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, duck farms in Yeongam and Naju in the southwestern part of the country may have contracted the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).It said the AI antigens of the H5N8 strain were discovered in birds that were to be shipped to the market."Under standard operating procedure, a res

A North Korean patrol ship crossed the maritime border into the South on Saturday during a beefed-up crackdown on Chinese fishing boats operating near the border, the South Korean military said Sunday. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Lee Sun-jin shakes hands with troops at a unit on the country’s frontline island of Yeonpyeongdo on Oct. 9. (Yonhap)The South Korean Navy ship fired five warning shots with a 40 mm-caliber gun. The ship retreated to the North 18 minutes after the s

MOUNT GEUMGANGSAN, North Korea -- Despite more than 40 years of separation, it took Jeong Geon-mok, 64, from North Korea just seconds to recognize her frail, gray-haired mother in a wheelchair as the second round of reunions of separated families began Saturday.Jeong Geon-mok (left) from North Korea wipes the tears from his South Korean mother Lee Bok-sun’s face during the second round of family reunions at Geumgangsan Hotel in North Korea on Saturday. (Yonhap)Right after entering the venue for